A Brother's Love: Shattered
by moviemaniac07
Summary: New sequel to A Brother's Love. Reid and Alex are finally together. But can they stay together as tensions rise and they face a threat from the outside. Sort of follows the movie, sort of not. REPLACES ABL: SHATTERED APART. REDONE
1. Happy Together

Hi everyone. So, before you kill me, I apologize. This is the new sequel for A Brother's Love. I never updated the other one because I hated it, so I decided to rewrite it. If I get enough interest in this, then I'll know the fanbase is still alive and I'll keep going. If I don't get a lot of interest, then I'm going to start a new story. But I have plans for this one now, so it should be good. It's going to be a roller coaster.

* * *

Reid Garwin had done what he thought was impossible, what he had sworn never to do.

He had oh so happily fallen in love. He had found someone that he couldn't imagine living without. And he had found her in the least likely of places.

He looked down at the brunette sleeping in his arms. Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight, making her seem angelic. He couldn't fight the smile that spread across his face.

A year and a half ago, he could never had imagined himself really _falling _any girl, let alone Pogue's sister. But really, looking back on it all, it made sense. She was his best friend, and a pain in his ass all at the same time. She was only girl he saw as more than a pair of legs, and the only girl who could get the best of him. She was snaky as hell, and he loved every bit of it.

Though the fact that they were both more stubborn than a brick wall often caused more problems than not. They argued a lot, and it wasn't stupid relationship stuff. They fought about the power, about his using, about her lack of use. They fought about his addiction, about whether or not his was going to be around in fifteen years and if she was just wasting her time with him.

She was, though she didn't see it like that. She thought she could fix him. Reid knew he was a lost cause. But he couldn't let her go.

Reid felt a yawn bubble up in his throat. Reaching up, he tried to cover it up. He didn't want to wake Alex. But even the movement was too much and she stirred against him. He watched with a smile on his face as her eyes fluttered open. It took her a second to remember where she was, but as her eyes fell on the blonde, she returned his smile.

"Hey Sweets." He brushed the hair from her face so that he could see her eyes more clearly

.

"Hey Garwin." She stretched, yawning openly. Her sheet slid down her form, revealing her bare body. "What time is it?"

Reid checked the clock at the bedside. "Four thirty."

She frowned. "You have to go soon." Her parents woke up at five. They risked getting caught if he stayed any later than that. But he refused not to stay. So, instead, he'd climb over the wall, stay with her while he could, the crawl back over the wall in the morning. It was inconvenient, but it worked.

He stroked her arm lightly with his thumb. "I don't _have _to. We could always tell you parents to shove it up their-"

"Yeah, and that would go over great. It's a perfect way to win them over."

He sighed. "I know. But apparently, trying to impress them isn't working."

She shook her head, a smile on her face. "Reid," she pulled herself onto his lap straddling him. "It doesn't matter what they think about us. I love you. That's what matters."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her lips down to his. When they broke apart, he whispered, "You know how I feel about you."

"Yeah, but sometimes it's nice to hear it you know." Alex was smiling, but it didn't mean she was chastising him any less. It didn't bother her that he didn't say it much, but it did worry her that he hadn't been saying it at all lately. As Caleb got closer to his ascension, they'd been fighting about the power more and more. There wasn't any time for I love you.

Reid let the smile fall from his face. "I love you."

"I love you." She returned with just as much seriousness. But then she smiled, pulling herself off of him. "Now get your ass out of my bed and get dressed."

He laughed, crawling out from underneath the sheets to gather his clothes that were strewn about in various corners of the room. He was aware of her eyes on him. He turned towards her, faking a shocked expression, and covered himself up. "Do you mind?"

She smiled. "What? Watching you get dressed is just as much fun as watching you get undressed. I can't help it if your gorgeous."

He dressed quickly, aware that he was running out of time. When he was finished, he turned back around to Alex, kneeling down on the bed so that he could give her a kiss.

They broke apart, and Reid had to fight the urge to climb back in. "So, the party at the Dells is tomorrow night…"

I'll be there. Kate and I are going with our roommate. Her name's Sarah, I think."

"Okay. Well I'll meet you there then." He kissed her once more.

When he tried to pull away, Alex grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Hey Reid."

He turned back to her. "Yeah Sweets?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry again about tonight. I didn't mean it."

Reid felt a familiar pang in his chest. They had gotten into another fight tonight, and she had told him he was going to end up like Caleb's father. It had almost ended their date until she apologized nearly fifty times.

Reid ran his knuckles across her jaw. "It's okay Sweets. You're right."

She shook her head. "No, no I wasn't. You're stronger than that."

His heart beat faster at her words. He could only hope. "I love you Alex."

She smiled. "Love you too."

He kissed her once more before bounding across the room, across the balcony and through the lawn. Alex watched from her place on the bed as he climbed the wall. It was ridiculous, the shit that he did for her, and the shit that he put up with. She was too lucky to have him.

Alex turned to look at the clock. It was four fifty. "Right on time Garwin," she muttered, sliding back into her sheets with thoughts of him in her head.


	2. Over the Edge

Hey everyone. So here's chapter two. Sorry it took so long; I just wanted to make sure I got it right this time. And PLEASE REVIEW!

* * *

Alex had never seen the Dells this crowded before, though that was hard to believe. The parties here were legendary, known for their massive turnouts and their tendency to get out of hand quickly. It seemed like this year everyone decided to come and see it for themselves.

Although, as she walked through the crowd and realized she only knew half of the people there, she started to understand why there were more people than usual. Another school must have crashed the party.

A group of what looked like Freshman confirmed her suspicions when they ran past her wearing McClareon prep shirts. She laughed to herself. Well, it took them long enough to find the party. They'd been having it at the Dells for the past twenty years or so. McClareon was only on the other side of town, and this was the first time she'd ever seen them at a party.

She made her way through the already drunken crowd towards the DJ stand in the center of the party. Holding her ears as she ran past a speaker, she sprinted un the steps and onto the makeshift platform.

Shawn, the DJ for the night and her chemistry partner for the past three years, hadn't seen her coming. Smiling to herself, she covered his eyes and leaned forward to whisper in his ear, although at this volume level it was more of a shout. "Guess who!"

"Alex," Shawn yelled, turning around with a smile plastered to his face. He reached down, giving her a hug, which she accepted gratefully.

When they pulled apart, Alex hid her smile and opted instead to shake her head disapprovingly. "You cheated. You we're supposed to look until I told you that you we're right."

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Please, I'd know your hands from anywhere, even if they weren't stained with Iodine."

Alex laughed. "Fine, I'll give you that. Saw some McClareon kids running around a while ago. Looks like they found us."

"Yeah, I saw them. Oh well. They can't cause too much trouble. We still out-number them. The Drydon kids though…I'm a little scared of them."

Alex frowned. "They're here too?" Shawn nodded. "That's not a good sign."

Shawn just shrugged. "Oh well, we'll be fine. No one's going to complain about noise out here. Where's Reid?"

Alex began to answer when she realized she didn't have the slightest idea. They hadn't talked since he'd left her house that morning. "I'm not sure," she answered truthfully. "But he'll be here. Probably when the rest of the boys get here."

"They travel in a pack, don't they."

Alex laughed. "Like a group of freaking girls. Speaking of which, I gotta find Kate and Sarah. I lost them awhile ago. See you in Chemistry Monday?"

Shawn clasped her shoulder tightly. "You do indeed have the pleasure of my company for another year."

Rolling her eyes, she swatted his hand from her arm and bounded down the stairs again, shouting a see you later over her shoulder. Shawn acknowledged with a wave before turning back to the turntables.

Continuing on through the crowd, Alex spotted a few McClareon kids, and sure enough a few from Drydon as well. Overall though, they were behaving themselves pretty well. But she still couldn't manage to find her roommates anywhere. The two girls blended into the crowd well enough that it seemed impossible to pick them out.

Alex was so busy trying to find them that she wasn't aware of where she was going until she ran into a solid, warm body with a thud.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she muttered backing up away from the stranger. Her face flushed in embarrassment and as she moved to get away from him, she stepped on her pant leg and she nearly fell backwards. But then his hand shot out, grabbing her elbow to steady her.

"It fine," he laughed. "Just…go slow. We don't want you falling, do we?"

Alex laughed, but the blush continued to spread, turning the color of her skin from light pink to more of a red. "Yeah, you're right. I just, sorry."

"It's fine, really."

She used him as a sturdy post to get herself situated and both her feet settled on the sand. Assured that she wouldn't trip again, Alex looked up.

Whoever this stranger was, he was fairly good looking, and he had a charming smile that rivaled Caleb's. His eyes were full of a spark that she couldn't quite identify. And something about him seemed to put her at ease.

"I'm Chase," he said, letting his hand drop from her elbow and instead extending it for her to shake.

Alex accepted the gesture, as odd as it seemed. "Alex."

He smiled that charming smile again. "Pleasure having you bump into me, Alex."

"Thanks," she frowned. "It was a pleasure bumping into you?"

"Oh, I'm sure." It was a cocky thing to say, but the devilish look in his eyes made it clear it was just a joke, one that Alex greatly appreciated. She giggled, pulling her hand from his.

"So, you must be one of the McClareon kids right? Finally crashed our party?'

Chase narrowed his eyes at her in interest. "No, I actually just transferred to Spenser."

She returned his look. "Huh. Well let me be the first to tell you that you, sir, have made a grave mistake."

"Oh, and why's that?"

Alex just shrugged her shoulders. "You'll see come Monday. It's not all fun and games."

Alex managed to spot Kate and Sarah in the distance over Chase's shoulder. She hated to shorten their conversation, but she had been looking for them all night and didn't want to have to try and find them again. "I'll see you then."

Chase watched her with mild curiosity as she maneuvered around him and towards the crowd. "Yeah. Looking forward to it."

Turning to look at him one last time, Alex gave him a little wave. "It was nice meeting you."

Chase nodded, muttering a you too. But it was too late, she had already disappeared into the crowd, leaving him slightly confused.

"So, give me the scoop. Who's here?" Sarah was eager to get to know everyone at Spenser, and Alex didn't have the heart to tell here that there were only a handful of people that she needed to care about.

"Okay," Kate began, spinning around to look for a starting point. Alex knew exactly who it was, and they found him standing on top a sand dune near the fire, and annoying little red head wrapped around him like a straight jacket. "The first thing you have to know is that Aaron Abbott is a prick."

"He treats girls like dirt." Alex threw in. "I know from experience."

Sarah tossed a curious expression her way. Alex just smiled. "One I do not wish to relive on such a fine evening."

The blonde laughed, but didn't pry any further. Instead, she scanned the crowd again. "Who's that?"

Alex followed Sarah's gaze to a familiar face. Kate answered before she could say anything. "New guy."

Sarah giggled. "He's looking over here."

"I don't know much about him, but I intend to find out."

"Cute," Sarah giggled.

Alex's smile only widened. Chase was indeed looking over here, and right at her. She just shook her head, amused. "His name is Chase. He just transferred."

"Yeah? How do you know that already?" Kate asked, slightly amazed.

"Bumped into him. Literally."

Kate laughed. "Well some of us just have all the luck, don't we?" Kate was teasing Alex, poking her in the rib just for effect.

"Shut it."

"He's still looking over here," Sarah said, her smile growing wider.

Alex looked in his direction again. He was still starting at her, but any amused expression that he wore had now faded into something more serious. Their eyes locked, and Alex was immediately drawn into his gaze. She found it impossible to look away.

And then Kate poked her again. "Well, some of us do have all the luck, huh?"

It was enough of a distraction for Alex to tear her eyes from his. "Alright, alright. Keep going."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. Um…" She spun around a few times, looking for someone else that Sarah needed to know. She stopped, sucking in a breath. Alex knew what that meant. Turning around to face the direction in which Kate was looking, Alex too saw a sight that made her heart thud a little harder in her chest. Walking towards them, in a straight line as the crowd parted like the red sea were, in Alex's opinion, the only four people in Spenser that Sarah had to know.

And right in the middle of them was Reid, the reason for her erratic heartbeat.

"They're here," Kate whispered, a sound of awe in her voice. Alex knew she must be smiling. She always got this goofy smile on her face when she saw Pogue. Not that she could blame her. She knew she probably looked like an idiot around Reid.

"Who are they?"

"The Sons of Ipswich."

Alex rolled her eyes. She hated it when Kate called them that. It made them sound like a boy band. "Kate," Alex whined.

"What?" Kate asked, defensive.

"That name, really? You're making them sound like--"

"Royalty. Well, you kind of are."

"Kate--"

She was interrupted again as Caleb made his way over to them. "Hey Kate," he said, a smile on his face.

Kate barely acknowledged Caleb, throwing a hey his way before launching herself towards Pogue.

"You're late," she whined, kissing Pogue soundly on the lips.

He smiled at her. "I had a thing with the family."

Alex winced. Thing with the family usually meant a discussion about life after ascension and how if you use you'll turn all wrinkly and old, and oh yeah, have you thought about college yet? She had a lot of "things" with Reid lately, only without the college talk.

Caleb broke her out of her thoughts, ruffling her hair. "Hey Alex."

Alex smiled, rolling her eyes. She swatted his hand away. "Hey Cay."

"Who's this?" Pogue asked.

Alex let Kate answer. Instead, she focused her attention on Reid. Crossing the gap between them, Alex threw her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his lips.

Reid responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her waist and deepening the kiss. But Alex pulled away before it got any more intense. Her brother was standing right there for Christ's sake.

Reid nuzzled her neck gently. "What? I don't get a running hug?"

Alex laughed. "No sorry. I was being a non-girl."

"Mmm." He kissed her bare skin. "I don't mind it all the time. Having you jump into my arms is never a bad thing."

"And the one sucking face with Alex is Reid--"

Reid moved lightning fast, slinging Alex to the side so she was attached to his hip, one arm still wrapped around her waist. The hand that was now free, he extended to Sarah.

"Garwin," he interrupted, his ever present smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Good evening." Laughing, Sarah took his hand. "You know, Sarah's my grandmother's name. You kind of remind me of her."

Alex stared dumbly at him. Reid really didn't know how to be charming around girls unless he was hitting on them. But nonetheless, this was one of his more failed attempts, and he'd had a few good ones, like the time he'd told Kate's sister that she reminded him of a guinea pig. Sometimes, she didn't understand the two extremes: how he could be so good with some words and so terrible with others.

Laughing, Caleb swatted Reid's hand away and took Sarah's in his own. It effectively ended whatever else Reid was going to say, which was a relief to Alex.

"Caleb Danvers. And you don't bring my Grandmother to mind in any way."

"That's a good thing. Sarah."

And cue the fireworks. Sarah was blushing a bright red, and Caleb was grinning like an idiot. It was a moment that no one wanted to spoil, but instead only wanted to observe. A comfortable silence settled over the group.

And then an annoying little red head came and ruined it all.

Kira slid into the empty space between Caleb and Sarah, a menacing smirk on her face that Alex wanted to slap right off. The two of them didn't exactly have the best history. Back when they were younger, it was just a mild irritation. But after Reid had taken her to that party last year, the irritation turned into complete hatred. Kira was pissed because as far as she was concerned, Alex stole Reid from her, though she never had him in the first place. And Alex couldn't stand her because she was constantly trying to "get him back".

"Hey Caleb," Kira said. Her eyes drifted over to the couple, Reid arm still draped around Alex, his head finding a home in the crook of her neck. Kira's smile fell slightly as she stared at them, a look of longing in her eyes.

Alex got a wicked idea in her head, and she just couldn't help herself. A sly smirk spread across her face. She wormed herself closer to Reid, who didn't object. Instead, he just tightened his hold on her. Glancing over at Kira, Alex tangled a hand in Reid hair, tugging slightly. He raised his head from her neck, a confused expression on her face. Continuing to smile, and not bothering to answer and of his questions, she leaned forward, nibbling gently on hus lower lip.

Reid immediately leant in to kiss her, but Alex pulled back, she didn't want to miss the look on Kira's face. Instead of being deterred, Reid bent down, gently biting the patch of skin underneath her ear. Better for the show.

Alex turned her head, glancing over at Kira, looking her directly in the eye. Reid caught on to her movements--they were a little curious--and lifting his head, followed her gaze.

She heard him chuckle as he took in the red head. He nuzzled against the side of her face, whispering in her ear. "Bad Baby Girl." But despite his words, Reid showed his approval by sliding a hand downwards towards her ass, squeezing Alex's flesh gently.

Her smile only widened. Pushing it a bit farther, Alex ran her hand down Reid's chest, sliding it inside his shirt and touching the muscles of his stomach.

Kira glanced down where her hand now rest comfortably underneath his shirt. Then blushing at her own mistake, she looked up at Alex again. Alex only smiled back, one eyebrow raised in mild curiosity.

Her blush spread farther, and as if she'd been burned, turned back to Caleb, continuing her thought. "How was your summer?"

The whole ordeal seemed spread out to Alex, but in reality, it must have taken only mere seconds. No one seemed phased by their show, other than Kira of course. Caleb's attention was still on Sarah, and it seemed as if he had barely heard her question.

"Uh," Caleb muttered, but it was clear that he had no further intention to answer.

Already embarrassed enough from Alex's successful attempting at provoking her, Kira couldn't stand to now be simply ignored. That wasn't how things worked for her. The menacing smile back, she turned towards Sarah, as if she had just noticed that she was there.

"Oh, I'm Kira." With a false sweetness, she extended her hand. But Sarah hadn't known her long enough to know that she was about to get played.

Sarah took her hand gratefully, her friendly nature not detecting a hint of malice. "Sarah."

Alex couldn't see Kira's face from where she was standing, but she would have bet her relationship with Reid that her smile turned into a look of disgust and discomfort.

Kira snatched her hand away. "Oh, right. You're from the Boston Public. Tell me, how does one go about getting into Spenser from Public?"

Sarah was too nice for the wrath of Kira. She hadn't done anything to deserve it other than be the target of Caleb's focus. Alex was going to end it now. But just as she opened her mouth to say something, Caleb's voice resonated through the air, a hint of authority in his voice. "Why don't you give it a rest Kira?"

"Why don't _you give it a rest?"_

_And there was Aaron, there to defend Kira's honor, though in truth he was more interested in starting a fight than defending anyone's honor. _

_The only person that Alex hated more than Kira was Abbott. Not only had he tried to play her once, but now he wouldn't leave her alone. And Reid had it out for Aaron's blood since he found out Alex and Aaron were dating. He'd made good on that promise once when he found out the jerk was using her, but the situation had only been getting worse with Aaron's persistence. _

_Reid tensed at the sight of him, tightening his grip around Alex's waist again until it was almost painful. "Garwin," she whispered, running her hand along his stomach where it still sat underneath his shirt. His grip loosened, but he remained alert, ready to attack if Abbott so much as looked at her._

_But Aaron was too focused on Caleb right now, who was clearly not intimidated, though Aaron was trying. Caleb just rolled his eyes. "I don't want any trouble Aaron."_

_His eyes flickered to the side, landing on Alex for only a second before they were back on Caleb. But it was long enough. Reid tensed again, and even Alex's soothing hand couldn't stop him._

"_I'm sure you don't."_

_"Man, these posers make me wanna puke." _

_Reid was too tense, and the look on Aaron's face--which was way too smug for it's own good--made him snap. Loosening his grip from Alex, Reid took a step forward and showed no signs of stopping. "Is that right?"_

_Alex recognized the look in Reid's eyes, but the Dells was no place to start a fight. As quick as she could, she stepped in front of him, placing her hands on his chest in a feeble attempt to keep him back. _

"_Hey. Hey, come on baby. He's not worth it, okay?" He didn't resist her, but Alex could still feel him tensed under her hands. She turned her hair, glaring at Aaron._

_Aaron smirked. His attention was already back on Caleb, satisfied enough with Alex's attempt to hold him back. "I think you owe Kira an apology."_

_Caleb wasn't intimidated. "I think Kira owes Sarah an apology."_

_Aaron turned to his friend. They smiled at each other, and Alex knew what was coming. Too bad she was powerless to stop it. _

_Aaron turned around and shoved Caleb right into Reid before anyone else saw it coming. Caleb fell backwards into Alex, and Alex fell into Reid. She wasn't sure exactly what happened next, but before she could comprehend what was going on, Reid had spun her around behind him. The blond was heading straight for Aaron with determination. She barely had time to think about stopping him when suddenly another body was squeezing himself in between the two boys. _

_Chase stood as the only boundary between Reid and Aaron, and Alex was never happier to see anyone in her life. Patting Aaron on the shoulder, Chase threw a look at Kira. "You were being kind of bitchy."_

_No one had time to respond. In that moment, something came over Aaron's friend, Brody, and he made good on his promise. Turning a sickly shade of green, Brody threw up on Aaron._

_Alex was torn between laughing and hitting Reid. It had to have been him. It was all too convenient. He looked back, winking at her. Alex smiled despite herself. Damn Reid and his using. Why did he have to do it in such funny ways._

_"Hey guys. Dylan just called. He said he saw a couple cop cars heading this way on Old Dell Road." Alex looked back to the DJ platform. Shawn was holding a microphone in one hand and his cell in the other, a concerned look on his face. Cop cars heading their way meant that they had to scatter. Now. There wasn't any time for Aaron and his silly games, or Chase, the new kid._

_Reid grabbed her hand and pulled her along through the crowd at a pace that kept her jogging to keep up. But she wasn't the only one; Kate too was jogging behind Pogue, and Sarah somewhere after that. They boys, with their long strides, had no trouble keeping up with Reid's frantic pace. _

_They finally slowed down when they hit the forest. Reid's hurried step turned more into a casual stroll, and everyone followed suit. Sliding and arm around her, he pulled Alex closer and let the others pass by._

"_Clever Reid. Good one." _

_Reid smiled. "You laughed."_

_She rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, cause it was funny. But that doesn't mean you should have."_

"_Not now, alright."_

_Alex was about to argue when Chase's voice rang through the air. "His friend's puking sure came at an opportune time."_

_Alex glanced at Reid. "Didn't it though?"_

_They were silent the rest of the way to the car. When they reached Tyler's hummer, Reid opened the door for her, ushering her in before sliding in next to her. And then Alex couldn't help it. She leaned over whispering in his ear._

"_You're not getting away that easily, Garwin."_

_Reid huffed. "Come on Alex. That was nothing. I barely even used. Can you just forget about it, please?"_

_No she couldn't just forget about it. It was too close to his ascension to forget about the little times he used. The little times were the most dangerous, the times that you forget not to do. It's too easy to slip. And she wished she could make him see that._

"_Reid--"_

"_My car won't start!"_

_Alex turned, looking out the window and letting the matter drop for now. Sarah, Chase and Kate were stranded in Sarah's car. The blonde looked panicked, but she didn't blame her. It wasn't a great way to start the year off at Spenser--getting caught by the police at the Dells._

"_Hop in with us."_

"_I can't just leave it here."_

"_I can fix it." _

_Reid was sliding out of the car before anyone could stop him. Caleb called his name warningly, but Reid waved it off. He crossed the clearing, lifted the hood and fixed it without even touching the car._

_Alex could slap him sometimes. He could be so stupid. So fucking careless. _

_But she couldn't do anything about it. Sarah's car was fixed, and Reid was sliding into the driver's seat, pushing Tyler into the back seat. And then they were off. _

_Alex couldn't help but feel excited as they sped through the woods. Reid easily navigated the trees and fallen branches. He was a skilled driver, and had plenty of practice doing things like this, so they weren't in any danger of hitting anything. And though she tried to deny it, Alex was just as much of a thrill seeker as Reid was…even when it came to using the power. That's why she didn't use. That's why she understood how hard it was for him and why she tried so hard to break his habit._

_She almost thought they were out of danger when suddenly a cop car slid behind them, seemingly from nowhere. Alex's stomach dropped, but Reid showed no signs of slowing down. He was going to run. It was like a shot of adrenaline straight to her heart._

_But Caleb wasn't so keen on the idea. He groaned. "Alright, we gotta pull over."_

_Reid rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you wanna stop? That'll impress Harvard."_

_Everyone was silent for a moment. Alex was secretly hoping that he wouldn't make them stop, and the look on Tyler's face confirmed that he felt the same._

_The corners of Caleb's mouth pulled into a smile. "Alright. Cut across Marblehead while your at it. We might as well have some fun."_

_There was no question as to what he meant. She felt a nervous excitement at the idea. Pogue looked back from his seat in front, a huge smile on his face. Everyone liked a good reason to use._

_They broke through the woods, and onto Marblehead, the cops following close behind. The edge was drawing near. Alex was afraid her heart was going to jump out of her chest it was beating so hard. Even knowing they weren't going to fall, speeding off the edge of a cliff and into thin air was a bit scary._

_Caleb sighed beside her. She looked over. His face was marred with worry. But unlike her, he wasn't worried about the more practical aspect of what they were about to do. He was worried about how much more addicted he would be after it was said and done._

_Alex took his hand, squeezing it gently. He looked over at her, the worry eased a bit by the smile threatening to break, tugging harshly a the corner of his lips. "Come on Cay. It's going to take all of us."_

_The smile disappeared, and he nodded. It was the only acknowledgement they would receive._

_Together, the five of them bent their heads. Alex didn't hesitate. She tapped into the power, and it slid through her veins. Her body felt warmer; the power was giving her a pleasant burn, but at the same time, threatened to take over her senses. She reveled in it a moment--perhaps longer than she should--before looking up again. She wasn't scared any more as they drew closer to the edge. Instead, she focused on control, on being serious. They needed to focus to make this work._

_And then Reid ruined the mood._

"_Harry Potter can kiss my ass!"_

_Alex laughed as they tumbled over the edge._


End file.
